US state promises UK it would remain ‘at the front of the queue’

The full-page advert takes a swipe at President Obama who had said before the Brexit refendum that if the UK voted to leave the EU, it would be ‘at the back of the queue’ for any trade deal

A US state has advertised in the British press on Wednesday and took a swipe at President Obama by telling UK businesses: ‘Brexit or not - you’ll always be at the front of the queue’.

Indiana has joined the growing list of regions and countries trying to build on trade with the UK just 20 days after the country voted to leave the EU. 

British companies already employ thousands of people in the Midwest state, but it appears business leaders there have seen the chance to secure even more investment.

US President Barack Obama said before the referendum on June 23 that the decision to leave would mean that the UK would be ‘at the back of the queue’ for any trade deal if it left the EU. 

The full-page advert in The Times said: “Brexit or not you’ll always be front of the queue for business in Indiana. We stand with BAE Systems, BP. Rolls-Royce, Tate & Lyle and the other 50+ UK companies in Indiana”.

London-based Tate & Lyle has just invested more than €80million in its plant in Tippecanoe County, leading to more jobs for the sugar giant. 

BP runs its large Whiting Oil Refinery on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan while BAE has a large base in Fort Wayne and recently won a €345million contract with the US Defense Department.

Rolls-Royce’s plant in Indianapolis employs 4,000 staff and produces parts, engines and helicopters.

Britain’s economy has picked up pace despite doom-laden warnings over the prospect of Brexit. 

The Brexit-backing chairman of JD Wetherspoon has lashed out at Chancellor George Osborne, the IMF, the Bank of England and a host of other organisations, blaming them for a potential slowdown following the EU referendum vote.

Tim Martin called into question their honesty and economic judgment during the referendum campaign, also singling out the CBI, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and PwC, who he claims were too negative about the impact of a Leave vote.

“In my opinion, the above individuals and organisations are either dishonest or they have a poor understanding of economics, since democracy and prosperity are closely linked and the EU is clearly undemocratic.

“By voting to restore democracy in the UK, I believe the UK’s economic prospects will improve, although it is quite possible that the unprecedented and irresponsible doom-mongering, outlined above, may lead to some kind of slowdown.”

President Obama was widely criticised for warning Britons against voting to leave the EU because the US would not be keen to do a trade deal with the UK if it cut ties with Brussels
President Obama was widely criticised for warning Britons against voting to leave the EU because the US would not be keen to do a trade deal with the UK if it cut ties with Brussels

Figures last week showed the recovery was in far better shape than feared with industry clocking up its fastest rate of growth for six years.

Industrial production rose by 1.9% in the three months to May, according to the Office for National Statistics – the strongest performance since the three months to May 2010.

And in a sign that Britain can prosper outside the European Union, a leading Indian business leader described a trade agreement with the UK as a deal ‘made in heaven’.

Chinese officials have also made encouraging noises, claiming Brexit has made a trade deal with Britain more likely.

The economy looks set to get a further boost next week with analysts saying there is a near 80% chance that interest rates will be cut once again.

Rates have been at an historic low of 0.5% since March 2009 but it is now thought the Bank of England will cut them to 0.25% tomorrow to keep the economy moving. 

In a coup for Brexit supporters, the UK boss of American manufacturer General Electric said Britain remains attractive for investors despite the uncertainty created by the referendum result.

Praising the UK’s ‘strong export mindset’ and attractive domestic market, Mark Elborne described the UK as ‘a good place to do business’ and ‘a good place to run a business from’.

He also said the fall in sterling since the referendum vote would boost exporters as it would make their goods more competitive.